BMJ  2007;334:972 (12 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39206.622419.4E

News

Indian prison doctors are promised more help to fight abuse of prisoners

Vivienne Nathanson

BMA, New Delhi

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The Indian Medical Association has vowed to secure better resources for prison doctors and to provide protection for those doctors who speak out against abuse. It has also publicly stated that it opposes interrogational torture—an illegal but widely used practice in the country.

Delegates at a conference in Delhi last week on medical ethics in places of detention described how many prisoners and detainees are subject to torture or to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment, especially before formal remand to prison or another place of detention.

The conference, organised by the Indian Medical Association in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Medical Association, heard that the frequent movement of prisoners in, around, and out of prisons makes detailed assessment of their medical and psychological condition very difficult or impossible. But without such examinations, evidence of abuse is largely missed and opportunities to combat systematic . . . [Full text of this article]


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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

More discussion needed on medical ethics in places of detention in India
Anant Bhan
bmj.com, 16 May 2007 [Full text]
May be there is some hope?
Dr Gurinder Singh
bmj.com, 20 Dec 2007 [Full text]

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